Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba will begin a five-day visit to the US tomorrow during which he will hold extensive talks with the top military brass of the Trump administration to consolidate bilateral naval cooperation, including in the Indo-Pacific region.

Two microlight Garud (Virus SW80) aircraft were inducted into the Indian Naval Air Squadron 550 ‘Flying Fish’ at the Southern Naval Air Command here on Thursday. Chief of the Command, Vice Admiral A.R. Karve, inducted the aircraft.

Indian Navy may consider the option for producing next line of three submarines from France. But any decision to this regard will only happen after the completion of its ongoing Scorpene submarine project. French firm DCNS is already building six Scorpene submarines in the Mumbai based defence public sector undertaking Mazagaon Dock Limited.

Repeated delays in key naval projects have not only hit country's maritime preparedness, but also led to huge cost escalation. Three important naval projects, which were to cost Rs. 9,892 crore, eventually cost the Navy Rs 38,855 crore—four times the original cost.